Tag Archives: small business owners

One in four small-business owners would pay $500 for one extra hour in their day.

That’s according to a recent survey conducted by eVoice, looking at how time management and office tasks are changing with the continued ascendancy of the cloud.

Turns out, time is the most valuable asset for small-business owners — 38% said so in the report — outpacing computers, mobile phones, and the company’s office/storefront as well.

With that in mind, what follow are five essential tips for time-management tactics — from learning to “pilot” the cloud to empowering employees your promoting better work habits for better living. Put the best use of time in the spot of MVP!

Time Management: Tips for Working and Living Right

Time management isn’t just about getting work done, the purpose is also to help small-business owners maintain a healthy work-life balance. Leveraging technology can help professionals reach that goal. Here are five ways to approach time-management strategies:

1. Empower your Employees: Learn to let go of the day-to-day tasks that are taking up your time. Instead, focus on the big picture. Not only does this help you to take charge of larger business issues, but your employees will learn and grow by taking on tasks normally assigned to the boss. That’s empowerment. Take a hard look at what you’re spending the most time doing every day. Whatever doesn’t fall into must be done by you category can be reassigned to an employee instead.

2. Learn to Pilot the Cloud: Cloud services can be big time savers for small-business owners. From business communications to document services, applications like Google Docs allow business owners to collaborate in real time with employees; EZ Balances is a simple app for business owners to use when tracking their spending; and Evernote allows business owners to keep track of notes and needs on the fly. And all your cloud-based materials are always accessible. And as any Mozy user knows, in addition to convenience, the cloud also provides security that your files will remain safe.

3. Streamline Communications: A virtual phone number enables small-business owners to work from anywhere without worrying about missing an important call or losing touch with the business. Just designate where you want to get the call — cell phone, office, home, hotel room, wherever. Most allow you to pre-screen incoming calls, cutting out the time consuming but less necessary chats till later. Even better, most virtual phone systems are equipped with voicemail-to-text features. Checking messages just got faster and easier as well!

4. Prioritize the DIY: As a small-business owner it’s tempting to do everything yourself. A whopping 90% of owners told eVoice that they fill the role of at least three different employees at once. As you began to categorize what tasks you could better delegate to your employees, in Tip 1, also work up a list of what you could outsource entirely, hiring a specialist rather than spending hundreds of hours doing it on your own.

5. The Business of Your Well Being. A recent Gallup Daily study found that employees who exercise and eat right are more enthusiastic and engaged in work. No kidding, right? But the same goes for owners at the top. Take the hint and make sure you give yourself a few hours each day to relax and give some attention to things other than business.

The bottom line is to streamline, refresh, and recalibrate. That extra hour in the day doesn’t have to come at such a steep price! Work with the tips above, and you might carve out even more time for making progress — and you’ll feel better about the way you go about it to boot.